


A Hollow Emptiness

by StarredDemation



Category: Klaus (2019)
Genre: Angst, Depression, Gen, I don't want to give the story away with tags, jesper's father
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-01
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:49:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22060594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarredDemation/pseuds/StarredDemation
Summary: Jesper is filled with crushing guilt when he boards Mogen's boat and refuses to speak. What horrible events have played out to make the loudmouth silent?An AU where the events when Jesper's father arrives end differently.(Title Pending)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 44





	A Hollow Emptiness

**Author's Note:**

> I do have ideas to continue the story but that depends on you, the readers' responses. I have also compiled a playlist for this and possible future chapters. The song for this chapter will be mentioned at the end.

The boat shifted slightly as the only postman in Smeerensburg came aboard, about to take his leave. With each step he took the obvious feeling of misery followed suit yet his father didn’t seem to take notice for he was too proud. His son had finally accomplished something without their family’s generous wealth or influence.

Once again the older man was too caught up in other ordeals to even notice his son’s feelings let alone understand why he was feeling that way. Yes, in the past Jesper was spoiled and selfish at times and tried to annoy his father as best as possible but did his father ever try to understand why? No, of course not. He always chalked it up to being an only child and having access to anything at a whims notice. His dad missed the true meaning by a long shot. Being an only child came with a lot of burdens, not being able to live up to your successful parent’s standards was one of them. By portraying a spoiled personality meant to Jesper that if he were to be blamed for a mistake they would be blaming a made up reason, not him. He had many insecurities that cause him to heavily judge himself and take blame for mistakes so he put on a childish mask. The issue is that this happened without his protective layer; he got too close and let everyone down. He should’ve just left after the first month and take his punishment. Anything would be better that the crushing weight he was feeling right now.

As soon as Jesper sat down he caved in on himself, seeming to turn into a pile of mush. He bowed his head and stared at the worn floorboard of the vessel. With his blue hat settled in his lap he gave a quiet sigh. The chilly night air jostled his golden locks but he didn’t care. Caring about it wouldn’t change anything.

His distress was noticed by the boatman but of course not his father. Giving a small huff to get Mr. Johansen to notice him the shorter man commented about his son’s unease which caused his father to once in his life notice something was off. But the older gentleman didn’t take lightly to Jesper not acting ‘himself’. He was always so cheerful and laidback so his son being anything else but that concerned him greatly.

“Best leave it alone” Mogens said, “I’m sure it’s nothing that could fester and eventually become a source of resentment and regret”, but his father tried to pry none the less.

He tried to understand what was wrong; he wanted to know why his son just sat there in sadness when he was returning home. His son should be happy, right? But nothing the man did could get his son to talk so he did what the boatman said, he left it alone. He left it alone hoping that his son would eventually confide in him during the trip for he knew his son and he was anything but quiet. Yet all his son did was sigh and stare at the ever shrinking lights of Smeerensburg in the distance.

Jesper’s refusal to talk unfortunately resulted in quite a lot of personal contemplation on his end. He sat there unknown to the world that he was silently dying inside while his father conversed with Mogens. If he never pitched the idea to Klaus in the first place this wouldn’t have happened. No, scratch that. If he just grew up and participated in life he would never had to have come to Smeerensburg and in turn wouldn’t have to have met Klaus. He wouldn’t have been painted as a traitor and his friends wouldn’t have been hurt by his actions, he wouldn’t have had friends to hurt, especially Klaus.

The boat shook upon colliding with a particularly aggressive wave, momentarily jarring Jesper from is thoughts. His father looked back hoping that the jump that his son gave was because he was willing to talk but he was wrong. To his disbelief his eyes were met with a cold, unresponsive glance which was much different from the blond’s usually warm gaze laced with a bit of slyness. The feeling passed as his son quickly averted his eyes towards the frozen abyss outside the boat. His son had changed so much, acting completely different from his old self. What had Jesper possibly experienced to be acting like this? Perhaps his drill sergeant was right, maybe Smeerensburg was a bit excessive, his son having seen things too horrible to even discuss.

The wind licked at Jesper’s features and began to freeze the tiny trickles that began to fall from the corners of his eyes. Maybe if he had just stayed behind to properly explain his situation to Klaus he could’ve prevented it. But he didn’t. He was too scared to face their new Sámi friends, to face Alva, to face Klaus. He ran like the coward he was, back with his dad to the rundown post office and then he saw it; the lights. The torches, being paraded up the mountain range like weapon of warfare towards the workshop. Jesper tried to make a mad dash for his betrayed friends but in the end it turned out he was too late. He caused this whole chain of event to happen and he couldn’t take it back no matter how hard he wished. No one would’ve been affected if he just left well enough alone.

The blond hugged his knees to his chest, wrapping his cloak around him. He hoped to pass his gesture off as just a way to get warm but really he just wanted some tiny source of comfort. Bowing his head into his little cave of fabric he sobbed, the only thing visible being tuffs of hair. All noise from him was cancelled out by the roar of the wind at sea.

Useless.

Failure.

Traitor.

Jesper bet they were calling him these things right now; it sent chills down his spine just thinking about it. It was probably from them mentioning his name; that was a myth about talking behind people’s backs, right? He bet they were saying the other word too, the one he dared not think about. It was a misunderstanding. He didn’t mean for anyone to get hurt but the cruel mind of fate thought otherwise.

He saw the scene all play out from a neighbouring cliffside on his way to stop the confrontation. Klaus and Jesper’s sleigh sped down a snowy hill while being perused by both the Ellingboes and Krums who were closing in. As the incline took a steeper drop the families turned off to avoid the danger as did Klaus or as he tried to do. The large man was about to take his leap to abandon ship when the sleigh hit a large boulder buried in the snow, throwing the man off balance and back into his seat. He tried to regain his balance and take a quick leap again but time had run out. Jesper watched in wide eyed horror as the sleigh along with his best friend was thrown off of the cliff and into the valley below. Filled with grief he ran like the coward he was, unknown of what actions to take than to run away from the situation and his feelings. The only issue to this was that you can’t run away from yourself.

He hiccupped inside of his fabric cocoon as his tears became heavier with the weight of his guilt. It all happened because of him. If he actually tried for once in his life and became a proper postman this wouldn’t have happened. The thin man hugged his knees tighter to his chest. He was exactly what they were calling him; the one word he tried not to think about. Murderer.

Klaus was dead and it was all his fault.

**Author's Note:**

> The song for this chapter is:
> 
> Blood on My Name by The Brothers Bright


End file.
